Despite Tropical Storm Arthur, 4th of July fireworks could be a wildfire concern

Fireworks sales have started in the Jacksonville area. On Monday June 30, 2014 roadside tents from Extreme Fireworks in St. Augustine, were getting a slowly increasing stream of customers and are hoping for a big week with the rush expected on Thursday and Friday. Zach Alexander(left) helped customer Autumn Kooiker (right) at the stand at St. Johns Bluff Road and Atlantic Blvd. on Monday night on what was a pretty good day for the stand.

Two prescribed burns and a still-smoldering wildfire in St. Johns County have experts watching for smoke that could cause problems for some local drivers.

Meanwhile, the Florida Forest Service is reminding people that Fourth of July fireworks could spark wildfires despite Tropical Storm Arthur off Florida’s east coast since some woods are ripe for burning after hot, dry weather interspersed with thunderstorms.

The first named tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph Tuesday as it passed north and east with bands of thunderstorms expected toward Northeast Florida Wednesday.

How close the storm gets will determine how dry conditions are by Friday and how dangerous fireworks could be to area woods and even homes, Florida Forest Service spokeswoman Annaleasa Winter said.

“We could be dry, hot and have some winds, which could be a fire issue on the Fourth of July,” she said. “And in North Florida, that pine straw can ignite one hour after a rain because their moisture content is totally dependent on the atmosphere. If the sun comes out, they can catch fire from a spark from a firecracker and that could ignite the live vegetation.”

The St. Johns River Water Management District conducted a 45-acre prescribed burn Tuesday at the Moses Creek Conservation Area in St. Johns County to restore and maintain the natural growth, reduce chances of destructive wildfires and help cycle nutrients into the soil.

Meanwhile, the Florida Highway Patrol continues to monitor a wildfire that has been smoldering for weeks near U.S. 1 and the St. Augustine Shores subdivision, as well as a 42-acre Florida Department of Environmental Protection controlled burn near U.S. 1 and Interstate 95 near Favor Dykes State Park. Smoke from both fires could affect visibility on St. Johns County roadways, the Highway Patrol warns.

Winter said there are no smoke issues from those fires for now, the smallest the 3.5-acre Shores wildfire first spotted June 25 and officially contained that day. Investigators check for hot spots every day and douse them. Crews sprayed about 1,800 gallons of water June 30 alone, Winter said.

As for the prescribed burns, Winter said her office works closely with the agencies that are setting them to make sure wind and ground conditions are right and smoke doesn’t have too much of an effect on visibility on roads.

The biggest concern will be from fireworks.

Any fireworks that fly or explode are illegal in the state, Winter said. Only sparklers, fireworks that emit smoke or burn in bright colors without exploding are allowed. But when a sparkler burns at 1,200 degrees and woods burn at 575 degrees, if any of them get into the right environment like a dry stand of woods, they can spark a wildfire.

“Even hitting some pine straw on a roof could cause a structure fire,” she said. “They are just not safe and people get hurt every year.”

The best advice — go to an organized fireworks event and let someone else do the work safely, Winter said.